The 1943 College All-Star Game
In the tenth meeting between the All-Stars of college
football and the champions of the National Football League, the Stars
won for the third time. For the first time the game was not played at
Soldier Field in Chicago, but was instead played at Northwestern
University’s Dyche Stadium in Evanston, Illinois. On a rainy night and
on a soggy field, 48,437 fans watched as the players for both squads
took the field illuminated by floodlights. Harry Stuhldreher of
Wisconsin coached the All-Stars in 1943. Stuhldreher had been one of
Notre Dame’s famed Four Horsemen during the 1920s. With Sammy Baugh at
the helm, the Washington Redskins amassed more first downs, gained more
yards and completed more passes than the Stars but could not manage to
win the game.
On their second possession in the first quarter the Redskins were forced
to punt. Missouri’s Bob Steuber returned the ball 50 yards for a
touchdown. Marlin “Pat” Harder of Wisconsin kicked the extra point. The
Redskins answered in the second quarter with a 71-yard drive and two
sensational passes by quarterback Sammy Baugh, the second of which found
Joe Aguire who carried it in for the score. The extra point by Bob
Masterson tied the score at 7-7.
Before halftime the All-Stars came back with passes from Glenn Dobbs of
Tulsa University to Steve Filipowicz of Fordham University, to Bob
Kennedy of Washington State
and to Harder in a long down field march.
Another pass to Harder from the 37-yard line found its mark and he
scored. He also kicked the extra point making the score 14-7 at the
half.
An interception by collegian Bob Steuber halted the Redskins opening
drive of the second half. Later in the third quarter another
interception by the All-Stars stopped a Redskins drive. Otto Graham of
Northwestern University intercepted the ball on his own 3-yard line and
ran behind superb interference 97 yards to score. The extra point failed
leaving the score at 20-7. The final score of the game came via Pat
Harder in the fourth quarter with a touchdown run of 33 yards. The game
ended with the score of 27-7 in favor of the All-Stars. Fittingly, Pat
Harder was named MVP. The “terrific hitting fullback” was responsible
for two touchdowns and two extra points.